Pau Gasol rumors have the Oklahoma City Thunder interested in signing him. These NBA rumors about Pau Gasol come from an ESPN story on Wednesday evening (July 2). According to the report, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook met with the free agent big man in Los Angeles earlier in the day. They extended a pitch as to why he should come play in OKC for the next few NBA seasons.

The face-to-face meeting was apparently to convince Gasol that he should take a pay cut and decide to play for an established contender. Barring any other transactions, Oklahoma City would only be able to spend about $5 million to remain under the luxury-tax line. That is a similar situation that the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks face. Those are the other two top contenders when it comes to signing the former All-Star at a discount.

There are a high number of teams that would like to sign him during free agency, with the LA Lakers still a possible destination if they can also add other pieces. Last season for the Lakers, Gasol averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. His minutes were down, but the games that the Lakers were actually competitive didn't happen very often. He could now provide a good veteran presence for a contending team that just needs one or two pieces to get to the NBA Finals.

It is possible that more Pau Gasol rumors will start to surface as teams start to feel out the situation in free agency. If franchises start missing out on the bigger names like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, the demand for the next tier of players is only going to intensify. It means that a player like Gasol won't have to take a big pay cut unless he chooses to do so in search of another NBA title.

In regard to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team is working hard to add another asset that can help Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook get back to the championship. Keeping the Spurs from signing Gasol would also be something that could help their short-term plans.

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Ryan Gamble is a sports expert calling the city of Spokane home now. His publishing credits include articles about the Seattle Mariners, Spokane Shock, Spokane Indians, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Seattle Seahawks and all Washington State University sports teams. When he isn't sharing his expertise about local sports, he is either playing softball, enjoying a game in person or spending time with his family. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @spokanex or contact him through e-mail at spokanex@gmail.com.